How to do things by the book

Christopher Hampton and Joe Wright had a simple formula for filming the ‘unfilmable’ Atonement: don’t try to improve on it

Once asked whether, given the opportunity to live his life over again, he'd make any changes, Woody Allen replied that he'd do "everything exactly the same - with the exception of watching The Magus". The film version of John Fowles's novel has long been forgotten, but you know where Allen was coming from. How many times have you thought: "Loved the book, hated the film"?

The film industry has always been rapacious when it comes to plundering the bookshelves. When The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Narnia can generate crossover franchises worth tens of billions, you can understand why. A large proportion of films spring from literary wells, making the shelves of Waterstone's an important part of the cinematic process (see, in the past 12 months, Casino Royale, The Last King of Scotland, The Devil Wears Prada). That's not to mention the fad for adapting comic books and the